In furtherance of ethical regulation of health research, the Edo State Government has inaugurated the State’s Health Research Ethics Committee (HREC).
The Edo State Commissioner for Health, Prof. Obehi Akoria, while inaugurating the Committee at the Ministry’s Conference Room in Benin City, said the Governor Godwin Obaseki-led administration places a huge premium on the life of every resident in Edo State, hence the need to ensure human subject protection in line with Good Clinical Practice.
According to her, these considerations and the need to improve the quality and outputs from indigenous research necessitated the constitution of a more robust HREC into which seasoned professionals from various backgrounds have been appointed.
In her words, “It is not business as usual in Edo State. A lot is changing and much of the change is a focus on Health and Healthcare Regulation.
“What we are doing today is an integral part of the new regulatory framework that the Ministry of Health is driving.”
The Commissioner further appreciated members of the Health Research Ethics Committee for accepting to serve Edo people, urging them to fully deploy their expertise in undertaking their duties.
Responding, the Chairman of the Health Research Ethics Committee, Dr. Omonyemen Bello, Consultant Community/Public Health Physician, Edo State Hospitals Management Board, thanked the state government on behalf of the Committee members for the opportunity given them to serve.
The Committee held its inaugural meeting immediately after inauguration.
